Operation Uadjet Traditional Geocache
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Crooks and Justice. Part 3 The Birthday present Gang
Check out the other caches in this series under the following names Operation Swiss Operation Bitalli Operation Wespe Operation Avalon The information supplied concerning this cache is freely available through the NT Supreme Court public domain website.
In March 2008 The NT Police Drug Enforcement Section (DES) commenced Operation Uadjet, an investigation into the illicit drug dealing of Mr Blyss. Mr Blyss had previously had numerous dealings with Police around Australia in relation to illicit drugs. As a result of this he was well versed in covering his tracks and keeping a low profile. Unfortunately in order to sell his illicit drugs he had to deal with other drug dealers who were not as well practised in avoiding Police attention and this lead to his undoing.
Unlike the majority of illicit drug dealers Mr Blyss did not restrict his dealing to one particular illicit substance, he also had the connections in the Territory to move large quantities of drugs very quickly. Mr Blyss was believed to be receiving regular shipments of illicit drugs on a weekly base. Mr Blyss, however, was not making large amounts of money from his dealings, the vast majority of the money he made went to supporting his own Ice habit.
Mr Blyss was highly mobile and changed his residential address a number of times during the investigation. He did not rent properties in his own name and likewise, his vehicles and power connected at his various addresses where in different names. This and his secretive nature made it a very difficult investigation. Investigators knew that Mr Blyss was regularly receiving large amounts of illicit drugs from South Australia but they did not know how or when the illicit drugs where arriving and where they were stored when they arrived in the NT.
On Friday 1st August 2008 the investigators believed that Mr Blyss had received a new shipment of illicit drugs. Search warrants were executed on the two properties used by Mr Blyss and also on the residence of his right hand man, Mr Hooton. Unfortunately the trap had been sprung too soon and investigators did not find the quantities of illicit drugs they were hoping for. Trafficable quantities of cannabis and MDMA where located, as well as $ 60,000.00, all of which were seized. Mr Blyss and Mr Hooton where arrested and remanded in custody over the weekend.
The good news was that as a result of the secretive nature of Mr Blyss and his SA colleague’s, the couriers delivering the next shipment of illicit drugs were not in contact with Mr Blyss and had no knowledge of his arrest. As a result they arrived in Darwin in the early hours of Sunday 3 August 2008 to deliver the shipment and attended at the two residences used by Mr Blyss and where unable to locate him (because he was locked up!). Short of options and not knowing what else to do, they booked themselves into a room at the Palms Resort (now known as the Darwin Free Spirit Resort) to await instructions from their bosses in SA.
Later the same day, DES Officers executed a drug search warrant at the couriers' Palms Resort room. Inside the room DES Officers located the courier, Mr Anderson, and his wife. Also in the room where 3 large, removalist-sized, boxes wrapped in brightly coloured birthday paper. When the presents were opened the Officers located 10,000 MDMA (ecstacy) pills and 57, one pound, bags of cannabis. A search of their vehicle also located almost 2 pounds of methylamphetamine (ice/speed).
At street level prices, the total value of the illicit drugs was approximately $1.6 million dollars. This was one of the largest illicit drug seizures in the last 10 years in the Territory.
After receiving more information, approximately 2 weeks later, DES Officers executed a further search warrant at a rural address and located a further 61 pounds of cannabis. The 61 pounds where surplus amounts from previous deliveries to Mr Blyss that he had been able to sell due to an oversupply!
Investigators later found out that Mr Blyss and Mr Hooton became known as the the Birthday Present Gang whilst on remand in Prison.
In 2010 Mr Hooton was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 4 years and 6 months. Mr Blyss was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 10 years.
The cache itself is an eclipse tin with no room for swaps. You do not need to enter the grounds of the resort to locate this cache; it is located near the front entrance.
The Palms Resorts staff had no knowledge of and where in no way involved in the illicit drug shipment.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqre gur terra zrgny obk